Chilling Sounds

Your guide to Halloween concerts in the North Bay

JAMMIN’ Royal Jelly Jive join burlesque show at Annie’s O’s on Oct. 29.

With Halloween falling on a Monday this year, the North Bay is taking advantage of the weekend to party with all manner of frightfully fun concerts. Here is a handful of hallowed events to match your creepy costume of choice.

If you're dressing up as a scary clown this year, a hugely popular option given the rash of insane clown posses in recent weeks, you'll fit right in at the North Bay Cabaret's "All Hallows Eve 4" on Oct. 29 at Annie O's Music Hall in Santa Rosa. Featuring the wild Jake Ward as master of ceremonies, high-flying aerialists, backlight burlesque and all manner of sideshow entertainment, the circus spectacle also boasts San Francisco Gypsy-jazz favorites Royal Jelly Jive and Danny Elfman–inspired Oakland outfit Oinga Boinga delivering cabaret rock. Top it off with comedy rock troupe For the Ladies and carnival Americana group Thee Hobo Gobbelins, and you've got a sure-to-be sold-out event poised to scare up some creepy fun.

Those going out on the town as grave-risen zombies ought to check out the Haunted Halloween party on Oct. 29 at Rossi's 1906 in Sonoma. Cocktails will loosen up the undead partygoers and a Monster Mash Dance Off will flesh out the grooves. Onstage will be Siouxsie & the Banshees tribute band Voodoo Dolly and eclectic Sonoma rabble-rousers Loosely Covered.

Anyone who plans on donning a Danzig-inspired undead rock 'n' roll costume has two chances to party in Petaluma this weekend. First, on Oct. 29, the Phoenix Theater hosts a Halloween Covers Show with local bands dressing up as their favorite classic punk rock and grunge groups and performing the music of Nirvana, AC/DC, the Misfits, the New York Dolls and others.

Then, on Oct. 31, the Mystic Theatre celebrates Halloween with platinum-selling rockers Trapt. Stars of the alternative hard-rock scene since 1997, the group just released its seventh studio album,

DNA, this year. Joining Trapt is Message from Sylvia, a new ensemble formed from the Lopez-Smith brothers behind modern rock outfit First Decree and vocalist Matthew Nevitt from Echovalve.

Ghouls and goblins of all shapes and sizes will delight in surf-rock superstars the Deadlies, performing a Very Deadlies Halloween at Silo's Napa on Oct. 28. House band for KOFY-TV's Creepy KOFY Movie Time, the Deadlies are a power trio of raw energy and haunted hooks that perfectly set the mood for a weekend of late-night partying.

For more info on these and other Halloween shows, see Music listings, p24.